Wide Open Sky
by SombreroWearinWriter
Summary: Max and the flock. Paridise, plus one smelly, talking mutant dog. Of course paridise is interrupted slightly by those mangy Erasers, but it's easy to regain. But when Ari emerges with an ultimatum, is paradise really worth it? Read and reviw, please!


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Disclamer: Sadly, I don't own Maximum Ride, or most of the character's I'll mention. I know. I'm sad, too.

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I stared at the ground below us. The sound of beating wings filled my ears. A comfortable sound in a none too comfortable situation. Because the ground looked like it was growing.

_Max, move._

"Thanks, Voice." I swerved just as an Eraser flew by me, right where I had been. Ugly things. Who can't fly. I mean, at all.

I swooped down about twenty feet to where Fang hovered. He looked up at me.

"What's a day without an attack from our friends?" I said to him, grinning. He flashed me one of his smiles and flew over to where an Eraser struggled. One swift kick to the chest and that Eraser wasn't flying anymore. I bet he forgot to flap.

Yeah. The wing-beating wasn't so comfortable anymore. Not the ones that came from those flying dogs. Which reminded me... Where was Total? My eyes went to the black mass of fur huddled in Angel's arms. That girl and that dog. She was about fifty feet away. Why not pull out that speed I loved so much?

I poured on the speed, and within heartbeats, I was at her side, pulling Total away from her.

"Do you want him to fall?" I looked at him with almost a smirk. "Again?"

"That's not funny!" he huffed, snuggling deeper in my arms.

"Oh, you know it is. Now, let's go kick some Eraser butt. I sure hope Ari gets who's the master here! Clip my wings," I scoffed, with just a touch of the fury I felt in my voice. I mean, really! He was going to _cut off my wings_?! My pride and joy? Oh, you can laugh at that.

I swerved again as an Eraser tried to knock me down. Yeah, right. With heavy, uncoordinated wings and bodies like theirs? Hilarious!

I turned around in a tight circle and kicked him hard in the stomach, hearing a satisfying _oof!_ escape his muzzle. God, I loved that sound. Well, when it was coming from an Eraser.

After another wonderful butt-beating coming from my wonderful flock, we got into our vertical stack. I smiled at the single shadow that was thrown on the clouds below us. We were united, one. It was even better than that Zen feeling.

Gazzy, the bottom tier, pointed downward. He'd caught sight of the golden arches of a McDonald's. Ah, good ol' Micky D's. But I frowned. How did that boy expect us to pay?

_Just ask him, Max. Theft might work._

_Yes, great idea, Voice,_ I thought sarcastically. _Especially when they make you pay first to _avoid_ things like that. And don't you dare suggest Dumpster diving._ With a resigned sigh, I broke out of the formation (as did everyone else, of course) and flew over to Gazzy's side.

"How much money do we have?" I asked him quietly.

"Anne's credit card. Remember?" He grinned at me. I laughed and shook my head. Before shutting up and grimacing. Anne. The woman who had almost adopted us, enrolled us into school, and had turned out to be _Jeb's boss_.

"Wonderful." I swooped upward and to Angel's side.

"Did you catch Ari in the swarm?" She looked at me.

"No. I don't know what's happened to him. I haven't caught him in the last couple of attacks," she said with a tiny grimace. I reached out and patted her arm before making my way to Fang's side. He looked at me before returning his gaze to the world in front of him.

"Hey," I said quietly.

"Hey." His voice was just as quiet.

"I wonder what's going on with Ari. We haven't seen him for a while. I hope he's getting rid of his wings." I smirked slightly. Fang looked at me and smirked too. And then, to my horror, that redheaded girl came into my head. The redhead who had locked lips with him. Such a pretty picture. And then, my almost-retaliation, kissing Sam. The possible-Eraser. God, what was wrong with our lives?

"Let's hope," Fang chuckled. "Now, to get something to eat. You know, other than raccoon." He flashed me another smile and swooped downward, using the speed he had somehow gained—from the blood transfusions, I bet—leaving me in place, watching him and the flock below me.


End file.
